How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical

Discover the magic of Dr. Seuss’ classic holiday tale How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical at the Lutcher Theater on Saturday, Nov. 16, with two shows at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $65-$35.

The record-setting Broadway holiday sensation, which features the hit songs “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” and “Welcome Christmas” from the original animated special, makes its Lutcher debut this weekend with Max the Dog narrating as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is “two sizes too small,” decides to steal Christmas away from the holiday loving Whos.

The Grinch broke box office records for two consecutive years on Broadway during its holiday engagements at the St. James (2007) and Hilton (2006) theatres in New York. Since then, thousands of families across America have been delighted by this heart-warming holiday musical, which The New York Times praised as “100 times better than any bedside story” and the Gannett papers hailed as “A genius of a show! A total delight for both kids and adults.”

Magnificent sets (John Lee Beatty) and costumes (Robert Morgan) inspired by Dr. Seuss’ original illustrations help transport audiences to the whimsical world of Whoville, while the music and book of Mel Marvin and Timothy Mason breathe new life into this timeless story of the true meaning of Christmas. The 2012 production is directed by Matt August and choreographed by Bob Richard based on the original choreography by John DeLuca and originally created by three-time Tony Award winning director Jack O’Brien.

Max the Dog (played by a human) narrates the story on stage. However, in the full-length film released in 2000, directed by Ron Howard and starring Jim Carrey, Max was actually played by six different dogs, and all were mixed-breed shelter rescues. So it is in the spirit of pet shelter rescue and Christmas that the Lutcher asks area residents to demonstrate “Max”-imum Heart by bringing donations of pet food to the performance, helping rescue animals to enjoy full tummies this holiday season.

Humane Society Board Member Amy Bean states, “The Humane Society of Southeast Texas Shelter, a non-profit organization, goes through approximately 150 pounds of food a week. This includes dog and cat food. We rely 100 percent on the community to meet our needs and provide food for our animals at the shelter. We prefer to feed Purina products. We need kitten chow and canned food for our younger and underweight animals, as well as regular bagged food. We appreciate the help the community gives us filling this important need.”

Donations may be dropped off before show times in the Lutcher Theater first floor lobby. In appreciation, donors will receive a heart sticker displaying Max the dog along with the sentiment, “I Have “Max”-imum Heart!”

The Lutcher Theater is at 707 Main Ave in Orange. For more information, view lutcher.org.

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